The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday, nullified the sacking of a former Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Iroju Ogundeji, and ordered his reinstatement.
The judgment came four years after Ogundeji was removed from his position by the leadership of the 9th state Assembly, led by then Speaker, Bamidele Oloyeloogun.
Ogundeji, who represented the Odigbo Constituency 2 of Ondo State, was removed by the House leadership following a disagreement in 2020.
He was immediately replaced with Samuel Aderoboye, who occupied the position of Deputy Speaker until the end of the 9th Assembly in 2023.
Ogundeji had challenged his removal at the state high court, which delivered judgment in his favour and ordered his reinstatement.
Dissatisfied, the Assembly went on appeal, seeking to overturn the lower court’s verdict delivered by Justice Akintan Osadebey.
However, the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment on Tuesday by Justices Oyebisi Omoleye, Frederick Oziakpono-Oho and Yusuf Bashir, upheld the lower court’s verdict and ordered Ogundeji’s reinstatement.
The appellate court agreed with the decision of the lower court that the Assembly did not afford Ogundeji a fair hearing before the decision to remove him.
While declaring Ogundeji’s removal a nullity, the appellate court ordered that all his entitlements should be paid to him as a lawmaker and as deputy speaker of the 9th Assembly of Ondo State.
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